Karnataka Rajya Sabha polls: Kumaraswamy calls Congress 'B team' of BJP as MLA cross votes

In a massive development amidst the ongoing Rajya Sabha polling in Karnataka, Janta Dal (Secular) MLA K Srinivasa Gowda voted in favour of Congress. On being asked about it, the JD(S) leader asserted that he did it because "he loves Congress".

HD Kumaraswamy reacts to Srinivasa Gowda's cross voting 

Former state Chief Minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD(S)) supremo HD Kumaraswamy on Friday responded after party member K Srinivasa Gowda voted in the favour of Congress in Rajya Sabha elections. He stated that he knew Srinivasa will vote in the favour of Congress. He lashed out at Congress for revealing its true face and called it the 'B' team of the BJP. 

"I had said that Srinivasa Gowda will vote for Congress. SR Srinivas also didn't vote for JD(S). Congress has shown its true face today. Congress is the 'B' team of the BJP. They're the main culprit for the rise of BJP in the country", Kumaraswamy told ANI.

Kumaraswamy Pans Siddaramaiah Over Attempt To Poach JD(S) Votes

Earlier in the day, the JD(S)) supremo HD Kumaraswamy lashed out at Congress after its leader Siddaramaiah asked JD(S)' MLAs to vote for the grand old party's candidate for the Rajya Sabha election.

Speaking to reports on Siddaramaiah's letter to JD(S) MLAs, asking them to vote for the Congres candidate, who according to Siddharamaiah, is a secular candidate, Kumaraswamy responded by saying, "What secular vote? Do they know the meaning of secularism? In this country, the secular strength is being demolished by these Congress people."

He further added that Siddaramaiah is pressuring JD(S)  MLAs not to vote for their own party. It is pertinent to mention here that on Thursday, Siddaramaiah asked JD(S) MLAs to vote for Congress candidate Mansoor Ali Khan in the Rajya Sabha election, asserting that he is committed to secularism. 

JD(S) demands second preference votes from Congress

Given that second preference votes are crucial for JD(S) to make its candidate win, Kumaraswamy, while speaking exclusively with Republic TV earlier, said, "After the process for filing nomination for the RS polls started, Congress fielded their second candidate even without consulting JD(S), even though they don't have the full numbers. Even before the filing of nomination, Devegowda ji requested Sonia Gandhi to support our candidate."

He added, "On June 2, Congress general secretary for Karnataka requested me to transfer the second preferential vote to their candidate. I agreed to the request. Then when we started to calculate the mathematical equation, we realised our second preference vote will not help the Congress candidate because the Congress candidate will be eliminated in the elimination process itself, in that case, the second preference vote will be of no help. Even then I requested we will transfer our second preference vote to Congress, but you also direct your MLAs to give their second preference vote to the JDS contestant."

(Image: PTI/ANI)